Close up - Uhlmann Pac-Systeme
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Expertise and
inventiveness go
hand in hand
The Swiss, similar to Swabians, are champions in inventing
and puzzling out new answers. They are so successful that it
is difficult to imagine what it would be like without
velcro, cellophane, aluminum foil, or coffee in individual
capsules. An innovative blister is a recent invention, in which
adhesion plays a role just as foils and a new form of
desiccant. It is the outcome of a Swiss cooperation between
Ivers-Lee and Uhlmann Höfliger Schweiz, which also
led to the corresponding machine solution from the
Uhlmann Customized Packaging Systems business unit.
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“ We offer ‘The complete “The complete pharmaceutical packaging
partnership” is the principle on which the
pharmaceutical partnership’ and also Swiss pharmaceutical packaging service
provider Ivers-Lee works. The company
expect this broad undertaking from our is based in Burgdorf in the Emmental
partners. Uhlmann meets this demand region. Its services are particularly in
demand when customers have complex
more than convincingly. specifications, as was the case of a global
pharmaceutical and biotechnical leader
Walter Murbach, Head of Business Development, Ivers-Lee
headquartered in California. In the future,
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tablets should be packaged in blisters in-
stead of bottles – with desiccant in every
blister pocket.
To solve this requirement, Ivers-Lee and
Uhlmann developed a special desiccant
feeder incorporating a punch and came up
with an appropriate forming process. The
desiccant, loosely placed on each tablet,
Innovative and productive packaging process for the desiccant blister:
adheres to the lid foil and remains there
1 Feeding and dedicated tablet placement via a SimTap feeder
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when the blister is opened. This ensures
2 Tablet inspection to check shape, breakage, and color
easy removal of the medicine. The two
3 Feeding of the desiccant band, punching of the individual strips,
positioning on the tablets
solutions for the desiccant blister, for
4 Verification of the presence of the desiccant strip
which patents are pending, are integrated
5 Print inspection of the lid foil
into an Uhlmann Blister machine B 1240.
6 Blister sealing in the four-column platen sealing station with uniform
pressure applied to the whole area The packaging of tablets in bottles is stan-
7 Accurate perforation and punching of the printed blisters dard in many countries. Always included
4 5 6 7
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“
Patents pending:
Swiss-Swiss cooperation two innovations with
future potential
Walter Murbach, responsible for Business Development at Ivers-Lee, on a partnership that
grows and prospers with its challenges
Mr. Murbach, Ivers-Lee has been working together with Uhlmann Höfliger Schweiz
for years. What do you particularly value? is desiccant to protect the products from
Well, firstly, the quality of the machines. We have a wide selection in operation: compact humidity, oxygen, and reactive contami
blister machines such as the B 1240, larger UPS 3 and UPS 4 machines, and various cartoners. nation. However, this protection is only
The oldest machine is about 30 years “young” – this fact speaks for itself. On the other hand, effective prior to first opening. Even if the
we value Uhlmann for its proficiency when it comes to finding solutions to really trick tasks, patient does not remove the desiccant, the
as in this case. Of course, short distances also play a role. A service technician is soon here solids are exposed every time the bottle is
should it be necessary. opened and the shelf life decreases. This
is not an issue with low-priced medicines,
For which products in particular is it worth considering the new desiccant blister? but certainly when it comes to high-priced,
The desiccant blister solution and corresponding blister machine configuration high-potency drugs, such as offered by the
were developed on behalf of a customer – and we will only use this B 1240 Ivers-Lee customer: HIV prophylaxis and
to package products for this customer. Naturally, this form of packaging with cancer therapy drugs, or medicines for the
a customized machine solution is also of interest to other pharmaceutical treatment of AIDS and hepatitis. Shelf life
manufacturers. and patient safety are key criteria here.
What is the current status of the project? Is the machine already in operation? It is imperative that the products are taken
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has slowed us down a bit. The Uhlmann technicians correctly, which is not easy to track with
were not allowed to travel from Germany. However, Michael Kuhn, the Swiss loose tablets. Individual tablets in blisters,
services manager from Uhlmann and a technician from Uhlmann Höfliger on the other hand, help to ensure com
Schweiz completed installation themselves. That was super. Commissioning, pliance. But how is desiccant inserted
qualification, and validation followed at the beginning of May – again with into the blister pocket? How well is the
support from Laupheim. At the same time, Uhlmann instructed our operating blister sealed? How is an efficient packaging
personnel. The SAT took place at the end of May and the B 1240 has been process achieved? A whole series of
running like Swiss clockwork since then. questions that Ivers-Lee and the specialists
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for customized projects in Laupheim have are punched. These are positioned directly The first checks the tablets regarding
answered convincingly. on the tablets. To prevent slipping of shape, breakage, and color, and also
the desiccant, the experts deepened and verifies correct positioning in the blister.
Well thought out in every detail: A SimTap shaped the blister pockets appropriately. The second camera monitors the presence
feeder at the beginning of the process is Patents are pending for this innovative and position of the desiccant strip, and
responsible for the dedicated placement pocket shaping, as well as the SimTap the third the printing applied inline to
of the tablets in the blister pockets. The feeder and punch combination. Also in the lid foil. Is the blister correctly marked,
next station is new. It feeds a band with tegrated into the Blister machine B 1240 sealed, and punched, it is transferred to
desiccant, from which the smallest of strips are three VisioRead inspection cameras. the downstream process. Faulty blisters
are removed from the process.
Top blister quality through innovation:
Similar processes apply desiccant to the
lid foil in advance. It can then be that this
fails to align accurately with the forming
film, which leads to sealing problems,
faulty blisters, and rejects. This is not the
case with the new desiccant blister from
Ivers-Lee and Uhlmann. It is the sealing
heat that bonds the desiccant to the lid
“ Greater patient safety and a longer shelf life:
By developing the desiccant blister and the corresponding
machine solution, we have initiated an innovation with
great potential particularly for high-priced, high-potency
products.
Roberto Zürcher, Managing Director, Uhlmann Höfliger Schweiz
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foil in exactly the right position. Nothing
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moves or warps, and the sealing process
runs smoothly at an output of 70 blisters Innovation for
per minute. Equally accurate and produc
tive are the following blister perforating
desiccant blisters of
Perfect product protection and
high patient safety: The child-resistant
and punching steps.
consistently high quality:
blister is based on the peel-push principle
to prevent tablet removal and danger Another benefit of the Uhlmann patent- first dedicated
in the hands of children. The patient first
pending solution becomes apparent when
peels back the top layer of the lid foil
and then pushes the medicine through opening the child-resistant blister. The placement, then sealing
the second layer of foil in the customary
manner. The desiccant remains adhered
desiccant remains adhered to the lid foil
to the lid foil when the blister is opened, when the blister is opened. The tablet can
allowing easy removal of the product.
easily be removed and compliance is easy close-up online
to track. Issued by:
number of blister formats. Ideal, consistent Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
Win-win the Swiss way: The innovative product protection and high patient safety Chief editor:
Marion Neubrand
desiccant blisters can be realized for a make them a convincing alternative to Phone: +49 7392 702-8648
variety of solid dose products as well as a tablets in bottles. neubrand.m@uhlmann.de
Concept and realization:
Volker Laucher Grafik Design,
Stuttgart, Germany
Text:
Marisa Arzt, Stuttgart, Germany
Translation:
Rosemary Sack, Stuttgart, Germany
Photos:
Merlin Photography Ltd.,
Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland;
dreiM, Munderkingen, Germany
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The innovative desiccant blister is packaged on an appropriately modified Blister machine B 1240 from Uhlmann.
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